TAHLEQUAH, Oklahoma — The Cherokee Nation Supreme Court has ruled that the results will stand in last month's election of the new principal chief.

Incumbent Principal Chief Bill John Baker won the four-way race with 53 percent of the vote. Ex-chief Chad Smith, who was attempting a return to office, finished second.

The Tulsa World (http://bit.ly/1J6NJgC ) reports that Smith had appealed to the court to invalidate the race and order a new election. A justice told Smith that his appeal didn't sufficiently show that the nation's election code was violated.

Smith had claimed that Baker didn't report some campaign expenditures, which Smith said was paid with Baker's personal funds.

But Baker's attorney said that the Election Commission had found that Baker committed no wrongdoing in regard to his campaign expenditures.